2024 Toyota Land Cruiser J70 will be available in both SUV and pickup truck variants in Australia later this year
Toyota revealed the new generation Land Cruiser for the American market yesterday and it will be nothing but the all-new Prado for other international markets. The LC was pulled from Toyota’s lineup in America a few years ago, now the 250 series is making a return as a competitor to the Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler and Land Rover Defender 110.
The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser will be offered in multiple variants and each variant comes with unique styling. The range-topping First Edition is the most rugged of them. Alongside the new LC, Toyota has also announced that the 70 will be back in all its glory and it will be launched in markets like Australia and Japan in the coming months.
The 70 Series has been confirmed to return to Japan as a regular model offering ‘original features that have evolved with the times’. Thus, the equivalent Australian-spec model will be a pickup truck with similar changes. It will be equipped with a 2.8L diesel engine as the updated 1GD turbocharged oil burner bucks the trend and is in place of the traditional petrol mill.
The Japanese manufacturer says the updated diesel engine boasts ‘outstanding reliability’ and delivers toughness off the beaten path suiting the character of the 70 series. It is said to offer impressive performance exclusive to a torquey and high-output diesel engine while achieving low noise, quiet ride and improved fuel efficiency.
The powertrain will be linked with a six-speed (Super ECT) automatic transmission. The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser 70, unveiled in its prototype form, will be underpinned by the original ladder frame chassis to offer high durability and reliability with improved on-road comfort amidst not sacrificing the off-road capabilities the vehicle is renowned for.
The JDM-spec prototype measures a length of 4,890 mm, a width of 1,870 mm and a height of 1,920 mm with a wheelbase length of 2,730 mm. The FTV diesel engine is good enough to produce a maximum power output of 204 PS and 500 Nm of peak torque. Its pickup truck sibling will continue to use the 4.5L V8 diesel engine kicking out 202 PS and 430 Nm.
It will be mated to a five-speed manual transmission. In Australia, both SUV and pickup truck body types will be available with a revised front end as the JDM version. The slightly more modern interior gains a 6.7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, an updated instrument console with a 4.2-inch display, assistive and safety features like auto high beam assist, speed sign assist and lane departure warning.
